Means for mounting blades on hand implements



Jan. 12, 1954 SAUNDERS MEANS FOR MOUNTING BLADES 0N HAND IMPLEMENTS Filed Aug. 28, 1950 Zhwentor GEORGE L. SAUNDERS Patented Jan. 12, 1954 MEANS FOR MOUNTING BLADES ON HAND IMPLEMEN TS George L. Saunders, Kennewick, Wash. Application August 28, 1950, Serial N 0. 181,772

1 Claim.

My present invention relates to hand implements, especially adapted for earth tilling, and more particularly to means of securing implements to their handles.

One object of the invention lies in the provision of a spade-like implement on a handle disposed at right angles thereto.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a handy and useful tool from parts of a spad and a pick which may render the parts usable after the tools have lost their original utility by reason of breaking a handle or a segment of the tool.

Another object of the invention is to provide means of securing the spade-like implement to one bit of a pick.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a hand implement which is inexpensive to make and very useful for many purposes.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the drawings, forming a part of this specification, like numerals are employed to designate like parts wherein,

Figure l is a view in perspective of my improved hand implement,

Figure 2 is a View of the implement shown in Figure 1, partially in elevation and partially in cross section,

Figure 3 is a view in perspective of a modification of the invention, and,

Figure 4 is a vertical cross section of the spadelike body shown in Figure 3 and having the balance of the invention shown in dotted lines.

The invention comprises a spade-like implement having a body 5 which is formed of sheet metal and substantially concavo-convex in appearance with the concave side being the face as at 5. The body appears somewhat heart-shaped when viewed in elevation but is supplied with a straight top edge 1. The side edges 8, 8 are disposed at right angles to the top edge I and extend downwardly in an arc until they merge in a rounded point 9 at the bottom center of the body. The rounded point 9 and portions of the side edges adjacent the point are sharpened as a hoe edge to facilitate cutting sod and earth when so used.

The spade-like portion 5 is secured to the picklike implement having a handle II] which is mounted in a tapered sleeve II. The sleeve II is formed with an integral bit [2 substantially rectangular in cross section which tapers toward its free end and terminates in a chisel point [3.

The bit [2 is curved longitudinally and thus conforms to the convex contour of the back of implement body 5.

On the opposed side of sleeve H and diametrically across said sleeve, I have provided a flat faced boss M, which serves as a hammer for breaking rock and the like.

The form of the invention exemplified in Figures 1 and 2 shows the bit 12 provided with spaced transverse bores l5 and the implement body 5 is bored at is to register with the bores l5 of the bit. Rivets I! are passed through the bores l5, l5 and i6, i5 and secured to mount the body 5 on the bit l2 with its point 9 disposed down- Wardly.

A modified means of securing implement body 5 to bit I2 is shown in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawing wherein the body 5 is provided with a concavo-convex shape and a face 6, top edge 1 and side edges 8 which are downwardly and merge into the point 9. The modification lies in the provision of a central spring lip l8 on the top edge, midway the length thereof and is formed with an opening l8 rectangular in plan to conform to the transverse cross section of bit l2. An integral socket is is pressed from the body 5 of the spadelike portion substantially centric thereof. A retainer band 20 is welded at 2| to the back of body 5 and is looped to receive bit [2.

To mount the body 5 on the bit l2, it is merely necessary to insert bit 62 with the chisel point l3 leading, through the opening it of lip I8, move it downwardly through looped band 20 and seat the chisel point i3 firmly in socket'l9. This will cause spring lip E8 to be flexed downwardly, and the resilient action to return will cause the inside edge of opening i8 to bind the rear edge face of bit l2 and prohibit its upward movement out of socket It. Any upward pull on bit l2 will serve to more tightly bind bit I2 in the opening 18' and thus securely lock the body 5 and bit 12 together.

When it is desired to remove the body from the bit, it is merely necessary to use a hammer and tap lip IE downwardly which releases the binding engagement between said lip and bit IL.

The invention has been found very useful in digging ditches, stripping moss from the surface of the ground, cutting sod, plumbing dirt walls of excavations, back-filling ditches and holes and multiple other uses too numerous to mention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

Means for mounting a spaced body to a tool having a bit comprising a socket pressed rearwardly from said body and adapted to receive the free end of said bit, a retaining band secured to th back of said body in vertical spaced relation to said socket and adapted to encircle said bit, a flat depressible spring lip on the body at its upper edge midway the length thereof and extending rearwardly at an upward incline above said retaining band, and an opening in said lip and shaped to conform to the transverse cross section of said bit and of a slightly larger dimension than said bit, whereby the upward tension of said lip is adapted to bind said bit in said opening and preclude accidental upward movement of the bit out of the socket and retaining band.

GEORGE L. SAUNDERS.

References Cited in the file 01 this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 1,008,873 1,018,518 1,175,192 1,232,361 2,254,586

Number Name Date Stults Nov. 14, 1911 Petit Feb. 2'7, 1912 Tankersley Mar. 14, 1916 Mills July 3, 1917 Warwick Sept. 2, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain May 30, 1910 Switzerland Mar. '7, 1906 Sweden Apr. 29, 1914 

